Обзор прессы 37-й конгресс FIDH, Ереван, апрель 2010 Revue de presse 37ème congrès de la FIDH, Erevan, avril 2010 Press review 37th FIDH Congress, Yerevan, April 2010 Revista de prensa 37° Congreso de la FIDH, Yerevan, Abril 2010 Anglais – English – Inglés/Français – French – Francés/Espagnol – Spanish - Español 1 NEWS DIGEST Council of Europe Information office in Armenia 14.04.2010 Armenian and international human rights defenders, participating in FIDH Conference, as well as some NGO leaders yesterday have addressed a Petition to Mr. Dick Marty, Chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe. Signed by 78 people the petition particularly asks that PACE Monitoring Committee urges the Armenian authorities to Ensure an independent and impartial investigation of the events on March 1-2, 2008 and immediately release all political prisoners. Aravot, Lragir.am http://www.coe.am/digests.php?date=14-04-2010 PETITION Lragir.am 13/04/2010 Mr. Dick Marty, Chairman Monitoring Committee Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe in Resolution 1609, Resolution 1620 and Resolution 1643 has addressed a series of concrete demands to the Armenian authorities in relation to the March 1-2, 2008 events, including an independent, impartial and credible investigation and the release of persons deprived of their liberty on political grounds. Despite the above-mentioned resolutions, there has been little progress achieved in this respect. As a matter of fact, the government’s initiatives to conduct investigations have actually failed and more than a dozen people convicted for their political views still remain in prison. Acknowledging the role of the Council of Europe in promoting human rights and democracy and taking into consideration obligations of the Republic of Armenia in this respect, we call upon the PACE Monitoring Committee to urge the Armenian authorities to: Ensure an independent and impartial investigation of the events on March 1-2, 2008; Immediately release all political prisoners. Signatures Mikayel Danielyan, Armenian Helsinki Association, Armenia Artur Sakunts, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, Armenia Vardan Harutyunyan, Center for Freedom and Rights, Armenia Natalia Martirosyan, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Armenian Committee, Armenia Levon Barseghyan, Journalists Club “Asparez”, Armenia Isabella Sargsyan, “Youth for Democracy” NGO, Armenia Melissa Brown, Political Prisoners’ Wives (Shahkhatun), Armenia Edgar Khachartyan, Peace Dialogue, Armenia Karen Hakobyan, Huys, Armenia Seda Melikyan, Lawyers for Human Rights, Armenia 2 Tigran Khzmalyan, filmmaker/Armenia Jirayr Sefilyan, former political prisoner/Armenia Zhanna Aleksanyan, Journalists for Human Rights Amalya Kostanyan, Transparency International anti- Corruption Center Michael Ellman, London, UK Khalid Ikhiri, Association Nigérienne des Droits de l`homme (ANDDH) Torres Francois, France Wrabayi Ru, Rwanda Nehmi Joumaa, Association Libanaise des Droits de l’Homme (ALDHOM), Liban Klio Papapantoleontos, Hellenic League for Human Rights, Greece Roger Bouka-Owoko, Observatoire Congolais de Droits de l'Homme (OCDH), Republic of Congo Saray Thun, Cambodian Human rights and Development Association (ADHOC), Cambodia Zoran Pusic, Civic Committee for Human Rights, Croatia Chia- Fan Lin, Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Taiwan Gianmarco Cesari, Lega Italiana dei Diritti dell'Uomo (LIDU), Italy Anahit Aharonyan, CSI volunteer, Armenia Elsa Ballauri, Albanian Human Rights Group (AHRG), Albania Assane Seck, Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (RAODHO), Senegal Dr. Kek Pung, Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), Cambodia Omar Salazar Asociacion servicios de promocion laboral (ASEPROLA), Costa Rica Wesam Ahmad, Palestine Youth Human Rights Movement, Russia David Zahumenský, League of Human Rights (LLP), Czech Republic Gloria Cano Asociacion pro Derechos Humanos (APRODEH), Peru Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia, Centro Nicaraguense de Derechos Humanos (CENIDH), Nicaragua Elsie Monge, Comision Ecumenica de Derechos Humanos (ECDHU), Ecuador Cynthia Gabriel, Malaysia Yolanda Herrera, Asamblea Permanente de los Derechos Humanos de Bolivia (APDHB), Bolivia Dan Van Raemdonck, Ligue des droits de l’ Homme (LDH), Belgium Abdujalil Boymatov, Human rights Society of Uzbekistan (HRSU), Uzbekistan Makichyan Garnik, Armenia Libyan League for Human Rights, Libya Debbie Stothard, ALTSEAN-Burma, Thailand Alfredo Arpaia, Lega Italiana dei Diritti dell'Uomo (LIDU), Italy Joan Nyanyuki, Kenya Erick Krakpo, L'Organisation pour la Compassion et le Développement des Familles en Détresse (OCODEFAD), Central African Republic Vanida Thephsouvanh, Mouvement Laotien pour les Droits de l’homme (MLDH), Laos Amir Suliman Md. Nur Khan, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh Karine Bonneau, FIDH Jose Flores, Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala (CDHG), Guatemala Atef Aresheh, Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS), Jordan Mariana Pena, Argentina Musa Abu Hashhash, B’Tselem, Israel Thuan Gregory, CoE expert Alexandra Pomeon, FIDH Noeline Blackwell, Free Legal Advice Centers (FLAC), Ireland Ruzanna Gharayan, lawyer, Armenia Anahit Khachatryan, Armenia Laura Hein, Italy Levon Babamyan, Armenia Adrian Ramirez, Liga Mexicana por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (LIMEDDH), Mexico Ekaterina Sokirinskaia, Memorial, Russia Ibuchukwu O Ezike, Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Nigeria 3 Furkat Tishaev, Memorial, Russia Sedrak Baghdasaryan, Victims of State Needs NGO, Armenia Fatimata Mbaye, Association Mauritanienne des droits de l'Homme (AMDH), Mauritanie Raphaël Kpande-Adzare, Ligue togolaise des droits de l’Homme (LTDH), Togo Thompson Adebayor, Liberia Watch fro Human Rights (LWHR), Liberia Dr. Hussain Shaban, Iraq Dr. Ezzedine Saeed, Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC), Yemen Dr. Arquimedes Joao Francisco, Liga Mocanbicana dos Direitos Humanos (LMDDH), Mozambique Yasmine Cabral, Guinea-Bissau Mohamed Zyad, Pays Bas Justine Atukwasa, Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI),Uganda Marissa Mercado, Spain Dobian Assingar, Ligue Tchadienne des droits de l’Homme (LTDH), Chad Damien Cousin, France BOTTLE FILLED WITH HOT WATER Armtown 13/04/2010 I ndeed, the location (RA capital city Yerevan) of the FIDH 37th conference, the demand of the president of the organization addressed to the RA government to immediately release the political prisoners of Armenia, obJective investigation of the events of March 1, 2008, re- opening of the A1+ were indeed pleasant facts. The meeting of the human rights defenders with the parents and relatives of the victims of the March 1 and the relatives of the political prisoners proceeded in a quite exciting environment. And if we add to this the active participation of the conference participants in the ANC rally then we can definitely agree with Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who said that the energetic background of the rally was unprecedented. This was done for the opposition. It was originally evident that the title of this conference – protection of human rights, wouldn’t be pleasant for the authorities. The material of the discussion was even more unpleasant – the state of human rights in Armenia and the RA Judicial system. Besides this, the oppositionists, who were present at the conference, introduced the guests to the reality of the human rights status and Justice system of Armenia with their replicas and speeches. And after all that they’d still freely walk in the hall. This was making the authorities nervous because the situation wouldn’t allow them to immediately punish them by humiliating their human rights, hitting them and cursing. During the conference of the human rights watchdog the government did what it had the option to do. They were weakened and tried to count the benefits instead of loss. The 37th FIDH conference organized in Yerevan, wasn’t it? Therefore, Armenia is the only country in the region, where the high level of democracy allows these people to gather, even participate in the opposition rally and even stand on the podium. And then the media outlets would mention that 400 human rights defenders have arrived in Armenia to partake in the conference. And for Armenia 400 human rights defenders are first of all tourists. And this means 400 hotel numbers, sightseeing, lunch, dinner, supper. And finally publications in various magazines of the world… However, it is not necessary to be in the government to understand that the mentioned meetings of the human rights watchdog, the 37th conference were merely events to inspire the society with hope and good mood. But to assume that this conference can efficiently affect the release of the political prisoners, reopening of the A1+ or the investigation of the death cases of March 1 is mildly said unrealistic. First of all the A1+ will soon celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ban of the channel. Relevant international structures and even the European Court demanded that the A1+ should be reopened. As we see, the leadership of the country doesn’t rush to abide with its obligation because it turns out that the international human rights watchdogs and the European Court don’t have much of reputation in our country. The court litigations of political prisoners and particularly Nicol Pashinyan proceeded with evident violations of the law and occurred in front of the representatives of embassies and human rights watchdogs. This time as well various international